[cycleworld.com] - 2022 Indian Scout Rogue First Ride Review

[Ninjette Newsbot]

On-trend styling updates Indian’s Scout platform. Is it enough to keep the platform feeling modern next to new competition?

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The Indian Scout Rogue has a starting MSRP of $11,499 but, with paint and ABS, costs $12,899 as tested. (Barry Hathaway/)We know Indian Motorcycle’s Scout. We know the 1,133cc engine and the power it produces, because we’ve had it on the Cycle World dyno many times. We know the chassis and when the pegs scrape, because little more than the new subframe for chopped-fender models has changed over the seven years and thousands of miles we’ve spent testing on this platform.

So what’s new and why are we here now? Well, recent market offerings from other manufacturers are changing what it means to be a cruiser. And that brings their new bikes into territory that the Scout has inhabited for years.

With the introduction of Honda’s 2020 Rebel 1100 and Harley-Davidson’s 2022 Nightster, it seems the mold for modern cruisers is changing. But the Scout hasn’t needed to change, at least not yet; with liquid-cooling and a twin-shocked chassis design, the Scout has been walking the line between tradition and performance with admirable balance. But little has changed since the Scout was introduced in 2015. Sure, there have been minor updates in things like suspension internals and the addition of ABS. But the hard parts at the core, the engine and frame, remain the same. Now, with Honda and Harley knocking on Indian’s door, can a new styling package on the seven-year-old platform still compete with more modern machines from two of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers?


Three paint schemes on the Scout Rogue only change the color of the gas tank. Storm Blue is seen here. (Barry Hathaway/)Indian invited us to Ventura, California, a beautiful town right on the coast known for its hotels and beaches, to ride the new Scout Rogue. We were greeted by a bunch of the new models lined up in the parking lot, a row of bikes with blacked-out components varying only in gas tank color, some blue, some black, some gray. The Sixty models only say Indian on the tank. Larger-displacement models display the Scout denomination as well. With a 16-inch rear spoked mag and a 19-inch front, the Rogue has a different stance than other Scouts we’ve seen, but something feels very familiar. The mini-apehanger handlebars, the steep-backed solo seat, even the aggressive lines on the headlight cowl… By god, it’s Indian’s take on the 2016 Victory Octane. And that isn’t a bad thing; the Octane had more potential than it was able to realize in its short two-year life span. Sneaky, sneaky. Sort of.

The Victory Octane was introduced one year after the Scout with slightly larger displacement and a more aggressive aesthetic, though the two models shared roughly 35 percent of their parts. The Octane delivered 8.2 percent more power, 8.8 percent more torque, and three degrees of additional cornering clearance, all while weighing 26 pounds less ready to ride. At this point, it’s surprising that it took Indian this long to draw on Octane DNA. It’s also disappointing that we don’t see more performance-minded design, like reduced weight, improved power, and increased lean angle.


The 29 degrees of cornering clearance and 2 inches of rear suspension travel limit the Scout Rogue’s speed through turns. (Barry Hathaway/)My experience testing the Scout Sixty, with its smaller 999cc displacement and five-speed gearbox, has shown it to be a very similar experience to riding the Scout until you reach 70 mph. After that, the lack of sixth gear and reduced displacement put you outside the engine’s smooth-running rev range.

I chose a Scout Rogue in Storm Blue, and the first thing I noticed, after a year or so without riding a Scout model, is its low seat height. At 25.6 inches, the Rogue’s seat is over an inch lower than Honda’s Rebel 300, but the very thing that makes this model so approachable for many new or shorter riders has me, at 6-foot-4, cramped up with my knees well above the gas tank even with forward controls. I had to invert the bar-end mirrors to avoid hitting my knees every time I turned the handlebars. (Indian’s fleet manager, Billy, is a sweethearted gentleman and swapped them for me in a minute flat.) Unlike typical Scout models, however, the Rogue has mini-apehangers that put me in a surprisingly comfortable position for our day’s ride. If I hadn’t caught my goofy reflection in a window as I passed I would have been more than content. Ego be damned.


A 19-inch front wheel on the Scout Rogue makes the bike tip into turns with less effort than models with 16-inch fronts. (Barry Hathaway/)
Ergonomics on the Scout Rogue were tight, but not terribly uncomfortable for Gales at 6-foot-4. (Barry Hathaway/)Cruising along Highway 101 to the first stop in town, the Scout accelerated smoothly with a connected feel at the throttle and no play or lag in its action. There are no ride modes; your right hand simply tells the EFI what to do. Back in 2015, this liquid-cooled powerplant’s character was a major shift from its direct competitor, H-D’s air-cooled Sportster, but its high-revving nature feels more familiar now.

The engine doesn’t have much going for it under 2,500 rpm, but in 2018, a Scout with identical engine tune and equipment to this 2022 model produced near-peak torque of over 60 pound-feet from 3,000 rpm to 7,000 rpm on the Cycle World dyno. Horsepower climbs steadily nearly all the way to the rev limiter, peaking at 84.62 at 8,260 rpm. Under 4,000 rpm the engine spins smoothly and there’s plenty of power on tap. But as the revs get higher, that readily available power comes with a hearty dose of vibration, buzzing the seat and handlebars. Still, the cruising rev range, and smooth riding, are just an upshift away.


The Scout Rogue’s analog gauge has a small digital screen to display time, current gear, trip mileage, and more. (Barry Hathaway/)While stopping for a quick cup of coffee and some photo passes, I tried to assess the Rogue’s styling and character with fresh eyes. The steel gas tank’s sweeping line carries through the cast frame section and down the twin outboard shocks to the rear wheel. The 16- and 19-inch wheels give the bike nice proportions and a firm stance. When starting the bike up, it has a pleasant pop-pop-pop exhaust note, not the over-muffled pew-pew-pew of some newer cruiser engines. The Rogue has struck a fine balance between liquid-cooling and the performance that comes with it versus the traditional cruiser look and feel.

Later, when nearing Ojai on Highway 33, the Scout’s most limiting factor reared its head and would not subside until we reached the superslab once again: that 29-degree lean angle. Carving along the hillside blacktop, the Rogue’s footpegs scraped easily and often. Riders can adapt to this on left turns by picking up their foot or just riding out the footpeg’s bend. But on the right side, the exhaust pipe is so low that Indian actually cut out part of the heat shield to avoid further impeding lean angle. Hitting any sharp bump in a right-hand turn meant a hard hit on that header pipe. By lunchtime it had taken a significant beating. Another couple of days on this bike and the exhaust note would likely be much less muffled.


After only about 50 miles, hard cornering has begun to wear past the Rogue’s heat shield and into the exhaust pipe underneath. (Barry Hathaway/)Spending time on Bobber models is good mental preparation for 2 inches of rear suspension travel on the Rogue. There was good reason to equip some of the bikes on the test ride with 1-inch-taller aftermarket adjustable suspension: The shocks that come standard are soft and short. The bike bottoms out easily and any sharp bumps are transmitted through the seat to the rider, though the contour and padding on the Rogue’s new seat do help diminish the hit. Testing the accessory shocks demonstrated great improvement, not only in ground clearance and lean angle, but in high- and low-speed damping as well. These extra-inch accessory shocks are available for $829, but they improve the ride oh-so dramatically that perhaps they should just roll that cost into the MSRP.

A two-piston caliper in front and one-piston caliper in rear stop the claimed 545-pound Rogue with surprising quickness. Although the levers are still in the hard-squeeze cruiser realm, there’s adequate feedback to both the front lever and the rear pedal to give the rider a high level of control. ABS is a $900 option, pre-equipped on our test model; it performs well without excessive intervention, though we did not encounter any situation which required an emergency stop.


The new seat on the Scout Rogue is well padded and comfortable, but the forward-curved contour may be uncomfortable for riders with a wide seat. (Barry Hathaway/)It’s true the Scout Rogue is a modern styling package on a bike that doesn’t have a lot of new things going on. But Indian did a great job with the Scout’s initial release so that now, even seven years later, it feels like a viable competitor for bikes released this year.

The Scout Rogue is an on-trend riff on a well-styled platform and its engine has a traditional and pleasing note at idle. For 2022, the Scout engine offers sufficiently sporty performance without straying too far from the cruiser ethos, but its limited cornering clearance and rear suspension travel only let you explore that sporty character so far. With so many of the Victory Octane’s styling cues present, it leaves us wanting an up-spec’d model with the additional power, torque, and lean angle that the Octane provided. As it is, the Scout has shown increased sales every year it’s been available. Time will tell if this design can continue to thrive as American and Japanese manufacturers continue to develop more modern and technologically advanced cruisers, but so far, so good.


Accessory shocks on the Scout Rogue are an inch taller, improving not only ground clearance and lean angle, but high- and low-speed damping and ergonomics for taller riders. (Barry Hathaway/)2022 Indian Scout Rogue Specifications

MSRP:$11,499/$12,899 as testedEngine:Liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twinDisplacement:1,133ccBore x Stroke:3.898 in. x 2.898 in. (99.0 x 73.6mm)Compression Ratio:10.7:1Transmission/Final Drive:6-speed/beltClaimed Horsepower:100 hpClaimed Torque:72 lb.-ft. @ 5,900 rpmFuel System:Closed loop fuel injection w/ 60mm throttle bodiesClutch:Wet, multiplateFrame:Cast aluminum w/ engine as stressed memberFront Suspension:41mm telescopic fork; 4.7 in. travelRear Suspension:Dual shocks; 2.0 in. travelFront Brake:2-piston caliper, 298mm discRear Brake:1-piston caliper, 298mm discWheels, Front/Rear:Cast black; 19 x 3.5 in./16 x 3.5 in.Tires, Front/Rear:Metzeler Cruisetec; 130/60B-19 61H / 150/80B-16 77HRake/Trail:29.0°/4.7 in.Wheelbase:62.0 in.Ground Clearance:5.1 in.Seat Height:25.6 in.Fuel Capacity:3.3 gal.Claimed Wet Weight:545 lb.Contact:indianmotorcycle.com